New Healthcare Agency

[TrueHealthcare]

Hello everyone,

I have just started a healthcare agency (temporary and permanent placements) but I am having a hard time deciding on how to approach clients. I know which websites to go to for potential clients (I have started a database), however, I am not quiet sure if cold emailing the 'info@soandso' email addresses would put me trough to the decision makers e.g a nursing home group that has multiple locations chances are that the individual(s) I am looking for would not be the manager based at that location. Is there any hope in me emailing the manager at a said location?
I am cross checking on companies house (contact details not available) and LinkedIn (haven't found anyone yet) for directors of the said company but no joy. Not all of the potential clients websites have info on the head office either.

Thank you in advance and please help in anyway you can.

Kind regards,
Emima

 

[Ian J]

Hello everyone,

I have just started a healthcare agency (temporary and permanent placements) but I am having a hard time deciding on how to approach clients. I know which websites to go to for potential clients (I have started a database), however, I am not quiet sure if cold emailing the 'info@soandso' email addresses would put me trough to the decision makers e.g a nursing home group that has multiple locations chances are that the individual(s) I am looking for would not be the manager based at that location. Is there any hope in me emailing the manager at a said location?
I am cross checking on companies house (contact details not available) and LinkedIn (haven't found anyone yet) for directors of the said company but no joy. Not all of the potential clients websites have info on the head office either.

Thank you in advance and please help in anyway you can.

Kind regards,
Emima

Why not telephone the nursing homes and ask for the contact details of the decision maker as that will make your sales email far more personal and don't forget when you get up and running and are looking for working capital to contact your friendly factoring broker on the UK Business Forums

 

[SmartClinic]

In my experience (I also work in the healthcare setting, but our clients are businesses) there is no substitute for doing things manually in the early days. Any purchased databases have always been a waste of time for us.

Something I did find helpful though was to find people on Fiverr who were willing to trawl through lists I gave them and try to find contacts from websites so that you could personalise introductions as best as you can.

LinkedIn is incredibly helpful (but don't be tempted into being one of those spammy DM bots), as are conferences and exhibitions.

Start building your database as early as you can, and soon enough you'll have enough contacts to be able to do some nice campaigns.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Is you contact likely to be the owner of the nursing home, or will there usually be a specific job role dealing with staff?

A quick look at the website will sometimes give details of key people.

Otherwise, good old pick up the phone and ask.

If you are going to buy data, you should pay - possibly quite a lot - for bespoke, verified information.

And finally, as always, it's extremely likely that they have an incumbent provider, so will need a compelling reason to use you.

 

[SmartClinic]

And finally, as always, it's extremely likely that they have an incumbent provider, so will need a compelling reason to use you.

Very very important, good point Mark!

 

[NickGrogan]

Hello everyone,

I have just started a healthcare agency (temporary and permanent placements) but I am having a hard time deciding on how to approach clients. I know which websites to go to for potential clients (I have started a database), however, I am not quiet sure if cold emailing the 'info@soandso' email addresses would put me trough to the decision makers e.g a nursing home group that has multiple locations chances are that the individual(s) I am looking for would not be the manager based at that location. Is there any hope in me emailing the manager at a said location?
I am cross checking on companies house (contact details not available) and LinkedIn (haven't found anyone yet) for directors of the said company but no joy. Not all of the potential clients websites have info on the head office either.

Thank you in advance and please help in anyway you can.

Kind regards,
Emima

Getting clients in the healthcare sector is trivial. They're all hiring and all need staff urgently. One of my friends owns a healthcare recruitment company.

Do you have candidates that are looking and willing to work at care home rates/hours - that's the hard part.

 

[IanSuth]

I was a recruitment consultant for 27 years and also now deal with healthcare people

Your big issue will be finding applicants who they cant get through their incumbents - if you have them then the best bet to get in (even when there is a signed preferred supplier in place) is to be able to contact the person dealing with staffing saying "I have a qualified X who is available from y and would cost you z, can we talk"

You are then solving their problem not being an interruption. If you don't have different applicants from anyone else expect a hard slog and competition based on margins which is never good as you will have a smaller slice of the pie than the incumbent so they will have economy of scale advantages over you.

You will also face the "I do one invoice for 50 staff for them and 1 for just 2 for you so it doubles my workload for not a lot extra" kind of objection from accounts/procurement. Make sure your tob's are watertight over your payments if your staff are transferred to other suppliers (i believe common in your sector)

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

What is your experience in this sector?

When you wrote your business plan, how did you approach sales & marketing?

 

[TrueHealthcare]

Why not telephone the nursing homes and ask for the contact details of the decision maker as that will make your sales email far more personal and don't forget when you get up and running and are looking for working capital to contact your friendly factoring broker on the UK Business Forums

Thank for your advise I will be calling some of them but scared I will be annoying. I have been told emails are more effective. You will definitely be the first person I call when I need factoring services

 

[TrueHealthcare]

In my experience (I also work in the healthcare setting, but our clients are businesses) there is no substitute for doing things manually in the early days. Any purchased databases have always been a waste of time for us.

Something I did find helpful though was to find people on Fiverr who were willing to trawl through lists I gave them and try to find contacts from websites so that you could personalise introductions as best as you can.

LinkedIn is incredibly helpful (but don't be tempted into being one of those spammy DM bots), as are conferences and exhibitions.

Start building your database as early as you can, and soon enough you'll have enough contacts to be able to do some nice campaigns.

Thank you this is sound advice. I have taken your lead and contacted people on fiverr hopefully it will work because I was becoming discouraged and chances are if I send emails to a generic account then it would just go in the trash folder. I already have people calling wanting to register (some have started filling in the application form) and I need placements for them once registration is complete.
Thanks again.

 

[TrueHealthcare]

Is you contact likely to be the owner of the nursing home, or will there usually be a specific job role dealing with staff?

A quick look at the website will sometimes give details of key people.

Otherwise, good old pick up the phone and ask.

If you are going to buy data, you should pay - possibly quite a lot - for bespoke, verified information.

And finally, as always, it's extremely likely that they have an incumbent provider, so will need a compelling reason to use you.

Thank you for the advice. I think the contact point depends on how big the organisation is. Example, only one of the nursing homes I looked at was not part of a group of companies and the manager also happened to be the owner which made is so much easier for me to compose a personalised email and less time in finding her. I will be picking up the phone and asking now.

 

[TrueHealthcare]

Getting clients in the healthcare sector is trivial. They're all hiring and all need staff urgently. One of my friends owns a healthcare recruitment company.

Do you have candidates that are looking and willing to work at care home rates/hours - that's the hard part.

Hi, yes I most definitely do. I am a registered nurse venturing into the business side. I have contacts in the industry (nurses and healthcare assistants ) all the ones I have spoken to have shown interest and some have started the registration process. Also have a strong lead with an ex colleague and he has asked for a business profile. Fingers crossed it will come to something. Thank you!

 

[TrueHealthcare]

I was a recruitment consultant for 27 years and also now deal with healthcare people

Your big issue will be finding applicants who they cant get through their incumbents - if you have them then the best bet to get in (even when there is a signed preferred supplier in place) is to be able to contact the person dealing with staffing saying "I have a qualified X who is available from y and would cost you z, can we talk"

You are then solving their problem not being an interruption. If you don't have different applicants from anyone else expect a hard slog and competition based on margins which is never good as you will have a smaller slice of the pie than the incumbent so they will have economy of scale advantages over you.

You will also face the "I do one invoice for 50 staff for them and 1 for just 2 for you so it doubles my workload for not a lot extra" kind of objection from accounts/procurement. Make sure your tob's are watertight over your payments if your staff are transferred to other suppliers (i believe common in your sector)

Hi, this is all great advice if you have anymore it would be greatly appreciated. On the staff side we are doing alright at the moment. Not a great number but nothing to laugh at either since we are only just beginning. Thank you!

 

[TrueHealthcare]

What is your experience in this sector?

When you wrote your business plan, how did you approach sales & marketing?

Hi, I am a nurse with just over 8 years in the nursing field. Relatively new to the staffing agency business site of things, however, I have worked for agencies for a very long time. I would like to think I can at least relate to my staff in that regard. I am looking at social media, free business directories and word of mouth, flyer etc and networking. Thank you if you have other pointers please share.

 

[Adam448]

I've been considering this venture being an agency nurse too, thanks for information.

Most agencies have a referral scheme that might help you get more staff.

Also staff retention is an issue so an idea is to give a bonus at Xmas depending how many hours they put in? Unless the margin is way to small.

Another retention idea is to go the extra mile, offer supervisions, support calls (I would have appreciated these and never had one)

Can you answer questions?

Like what happens if your staff cancelled a shift? Do you go yourself or pay higher rate to try and temp another staff?

What are the margins like? And how do you decide how much to ask for from hospitals for your staff?

How did you get funding to startup?

Thank you

 

[Ian J]

How did you get funding to startup?

I can answer that one at least as most new start recruitment companies use invoice factoring to provide their working capital which bridges the gap between having to pay your temp and being paid by your customer. Some factoring companies also offer a back office facility to handle your payroll for you.

More details at factoring for recruitment companies